How much should we be taxed? What is fair?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 11:27 AM
  #46  
Grim's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa, O K L A H O M A!
Originally Posted by BHibbs
It just doesn't add up to be fair any way you look at it...
Who defines fair? I worked hard in high school, college, the military, college again and now in the private sector. I probably make more than 2x as much as my friends that goofed around in high school, didn't go to college, never work nights and weekends and never have to travel for business. Is it "fair" that I pay more taxes than them? That strikes me as not being fair to me at all!

Grim
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 11:44 AM
  #47  
vader716's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,079
Likes: 0
From: Pikesville, MD
Since when is life suppose to be fair?

Is it fair I had to pay my way through college because I actually work and have the wrong skin color or gender? No. Did I cry about it? Nope, just worked more.

Is it fair that a cousin of mine who is too lazy to work collects a 7k dollar refund check every year because he keeps having kids and I have extra taken out of my check to make sure I don't owe? Nope.

Is a flat tax fair in % of income, nope, but it sure is fair when you consider % of consumption.

There is a only one "fair" system and that is socialism....and sorry I like freedom way too much for that crap.
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 11:53 AM
  #48  
Grim's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa, O K L A H O M A!
Originally Posted by vader716
There is a only one "fair" system and that is socialism....and sorry I like freedom way too much for that crap.
Note that I'm not saying life should be fair--I'm saying that trying to use taxes to define "fairness" doesn't work very well.

Just say no to socialism!

Grim
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 11:55 AM
  #49  
po1911's Avatar
Suspended
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: guess
Originally Posted by vader716
Since when is life suppose to be fair?

Is it fair I had to pay my way through college because I actually work and have the wrong skin color or gender? No. Did I cry about it? Nope, just worked more.

Is it fair that a cousin of mine who is too lazy to work collects a 7k dollar refund check every year because he keeps having kids and I have extra taken out of my check to make sure I don't owe? Nope.

Is a flat tax fair in % of income, nope, but it sure is fair when you consider % of consumption.

There is a only one "fair" system and that is socialism....and sorry I like freedom way too much for that crap.

dang it cant find my slow clap smilie so you get this
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 12:08 PM
  #50  
BHibbs's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Grim
Who defines fair? I worked hard in high school, college, the military, college again and now in the private sector. I probably make more than 2x as much as my friends that goofed around in high school, didn't go to college, never work nights and weekends and never have to travel for business. Is it "fair" that I pay more taxes than them? That strikes me as not being fair to me at all!

Grim
How are you paying "More" in taxes?? Yeah, maybe in total dollars, but that's just because you Make more Dollars. As far as a Percentage of your Total Income, or your final tax RATE when it's all said and done, there's No Way you're paying more in taxes than a guy making 15,000 a year...

 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 12:21 PM
  #51  
vader716's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,079
Likes: 0
From: Pikesville, MD
Originally Posted by BHibbs
there's No Way you're paying more in taxes than a guy making 15,000 a year...

Absolutely there is.

My cousin who worked at wal-mart paid MAYBE 2k in taxes and gets back a 7k check.

He actually make 5k in money off of taxes.

Unless I have a negative tax rate I'm paying way more than a guy making 15,000, in either percentage or real dollars.
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 12:37 PM
  #52  
BHibbs's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
I'm talking about ALL taxes. Gasoline, Sales tax, income tax, etc.

He's probably paying an extra 4% of his income on Gas Taxes Alone!

I'm sorry, but you do not just Make Money from taxes for working. According to the IRS a guy making 15k a year pays 755 bucks Plus 15% of the amount over $7,550.. That comes out to 13% or so right off the top...

That's why all these taxes on Beer, Cigs, etc. disproportiately effect the poor vs the Rich as far as a Percentage of their total income...

There's just this major misconception that Poor people get a free ride when it comes to paying taxes but it's clearly not true when you actually start adding things up..


 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 12:42 PM
  #53  
vader716's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,079
Likes: 0
From: Pikesville, MD
I realize the rich get a huge tax break with loop holes and such too and I am against them but come on, my cousin is not unique. The EITC actually puts money in his pocket. The money he makes back actually pays for any of his consumption taxes throughout the year and the idiot gets to go out and buy big ticket items that I can't afford without a side job.

If you dont want to charge people taxes fine but to actually make money from a tax refund is disgusting. That is income redistribution and a tenet of socialism.
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 01:07 PM
  #54  
BHibbs's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by vader716
I realize the rich get a huge tax break with loop holes and such too and I am against them but come on, my cousin is not unique. The EITC actually puts money in his pocket. The money he makes back actually pays for any of his consumption taxes throughout the year and the idiot gets to go out and buy big ticket items that I can't afford without a side job.

If you dont want to charge people taxes fine but to actually make money from a tax refund is disgusting. That is income redistribution and a tenet of socialism.
I'm sorry, but a Guy working at Walmart that qualifies for the EITC is Not living Large by any means. Not when you're spending 3-4 Thousand Dollars a year just on Gas for your car...

Again, I'm not for Redistributing Income at All. I'm just for a Fair, Flat Tax accross the board, and take out all of these Hidden taxes on Gas, Beer, clothes, etc. that hit the poor a LOT harder than they hit the Rich...

Regardless, the tax "plan" that started this entire thread Still makes no sense at all and would DEFINITELY benefit the Rich more than the poor and in effect have the Poor (And Middle Class) end up paying a HIGHER Tax Rate than the Rich...

Our current system really puts the Tax burden on the MIDDLE class the most. Raising taxes for those making more than 250k would only help even the playing field....
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 01:18 PM
  #55  
vader716's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,079
Likes: 0
From: Pikesville, MD
BH,

I've really missed our debates.

I don't mean to suggest he is living high off the hog but when he goes out and spend 3k on a TV supplied by a tax refund while still collecting social services something is screwed up.

The excessive rich and the excessively poor are getting too many handouts. I agree the middle class are shouldering the burden way too much.

If we could devise a system that provides an equal % of tax burden on individuals I'm all for it. I understand sales taxes and such are regressive to lower income families. I'm not some hard nosed guy that says screw the poor or believe that the rich shouldn't pay their fair share but what we have now sucks.

A flat tax rate on all income is probably the fairest system but that will be hard to create.

Jim
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 02:16 PM
  #56  
Grim's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa, O K L A H O M A!
Originally Posted by BHibbs
How are you paying "More" in taxes?? Yeah, maybe in total dollars, but that's just because you Make more Dollars. As far as a Percentage of your Total Income, or your final tax RATE when it's all said and done, there's No Way you're paying more in taxes than a guy making 15,000 a year...

A guy making $15,000 per year is making less than minimum wage. Under the fair tax, he would pay 0 taxes on food. He would pay rent and utilities (probably government subsidized) and transportation (probably public transport, probably also government subsidized). Under the fair tax, he probably ends up paying a lower % than I would because I have disposable income.

In any case, where is it written that I should be paying for a healthy-bodied adult smoking dope and earning minimum wage?

Grim
 
Reply
Old Aug 8, 2008 | 02:33 PM
  #57  
BHibbs's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Grim
A guy making $15,000 per year is making less than minimum wage. Under the fair tax, he would pay 0 taxes on food. He would pay rent and utilities (probably government subsidized) and transportation (probably public transport, probably also government subsidized). Under the fair tax, he probably ends up paying a lower % than I would because I have disposable income.

In any case, where is it written that I should be paying for a healthy-bodied adult smoking dope and earning minimum wage?

Grim
Why should you and I pay a higher combined Tax Rate than a guy making 500K a year??

You think it's OK for Warren Buffet to pay 17.7% tax rate, and his Receptionist to pay 32.9%??


http://www.cnbc.com/id/21553857


Warren: Mine came to-- 17.7 percent. That-- that was the-- that was line 61 I think-- or, no, line 43-- is the percent of taxable income, plus payroll taxes, 17.7 percent. The average for the office was 32.9 percent. There wasn't anybody in the office from the receptionist on that paid as low a tax rate. And I have no tax planning. I don't have an-- I don't have a-- an accountant. I don't have tax shelters. I just follow what the U.S. Congress tells me to do.
 
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2008 | 08:29 AM
  #58  
BHibbs's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by BHibbs
Why should you and I pay a higher combined Tax Rate than a guy making 500K a year??

You think it's OK for Warren Buffet to pay 17.7% tax rate, and his Receptionist to pay 32.9%??


http://www.cnbc.com/id/21553857


Warren: Mine came to-- 17.7 percent. That-- that was the-- that was line 61 I think-- or, no, line 43-- is the percent of taxable income, plus payroll taxes, 17.7 percent. The average for the office was 32.9 percent. There wasn't anybody in the office from the receptionist on that paid as low a tax rate. And I have no tax planning. I don't have an-- I don't have a-- an accountant. I don't have tax shelters. I just follow what the U.S. Congress tells me to do.

I was hoping you could explain this Grim...


 
Reply
Old Aug 9, 2008 | 08:53 AM
  #59  
vader716's Avatar
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,079
Likes: 0
From: Pikesville, MD
Originally Posted by BHibbs
I was hoping you could explain this Grim...


No need. His handouts are just as wrong.
 
Reply




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:38 PM.